[LINK] Labor commits to $4.5b high-speed Internet network

[Glen Turner]

Stewart Fist wrote:

> I'd like to see street ducting and power-poles put under local government
> control, like suburban roads - with the main inter-exchange trunk-pipes
> placed under state government control.
> 
> That's the only way to get real competitive access, if they are going to
> allow multiple infrastructure suppliers.

Hi Stewart,

The problem here is the National Competition Policy which
pushes states into either privatising or profiteering from
their infrastructure assets under the code of "using them
efficiently".

Whilst it is acceptable to the NCC for an asset to be run
"inefficiently", it is the NCC which determines the acceptability,
not the state government.

You've only got to look at what the NCC did to the electricity
market: generators rorting the market; distributors underspending
on transmission; retailers moving from reputable companies to
dodgy brothers whilst all charging the same (maximum) price.

Cheers, Glen